SEARCHING FOR MY BABY-DADDY

I groaned, pulling the covers over my head. "What? Can't you let me sleep?"

"No way! I saw you last night at the party, and you were having the time of your life! You were dancing with that mystery man, and I could tell from the way you were talking to him that you liked him," Amelia said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

I sat up, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. "Oh, stop it. We just had a good time. It doesn't mean anything. Plus how did I get home?"

"Really? Because I could have sworn you were making out with him in the washroom, plus I saw you wasted in the washroom and managed to get you home" Amelia said, raising an eyebrow.

I blushed, feeling a rush of memories from the night before. "Okay, fine. We hooked up, but I don't even remember his name or phone number. It was just a one-time thing. Thanks for bringing me home anyway."

"Well, that's too bad," Amelia said, looking disappointed. "I was hoping we could track him down and set you two up on a real date."

I shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I just wanted to let loose and have some fun."

Just then, my phone beeped, I had a message and I hurriedly sat up to read.

It was from my network provider. I sighed and lay back in bed. "My head aches"

"I'll just get you coffee, I think you're having a hangover" Amelia replied as she stepped out of the room.

 "I am incredibly grateful to have her as a friend. How could anyone not feel grateful to have such a wonderful person in their life?"

I carried on with life, but thoughts of him lingered. However, I brushed them off, not ready for drama. Suddenly, something disturbing happened, jolting me back into reality.

I sat on the couch, my hands clasped tightly in my lap as I confided in my friend Amelia. "It's been a month now and I still haven't gotten my period," I said, my voice quivering with worry.

Amelia furrowed her brow, studying my face carefully. "That's not normal. Have you been experiencing any other symptoms?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, just this. Do you think something could be wrong?" I asked, feeling a lump form in my throat.

Amelia placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It's possible that you're experiencing a hormonal imbalance. Let's go to the doctor and get it checked out," she said, her voice reassuring.

Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock. "Wait, wait!! The guy at the party, did you both have protected sex?" she asked, her tone urgent.

I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head. "No, we didn't"

Amelia's expression hardened. "What? You don't even have the slightest idea of who he is. How could you?"

 Ava's cheeks reddened with embarrassment as she stumbled over her words. "I messed up, I know, but I can't be pregnant." 

Amelia's heart ached for her friend. "It's alright, Ava. No matter what, we'll get through this together,"

 "I can't be pregnant. This can't be happening," she muttered, her eyes filling with tears.

Amelia took Ava's hand and pulled her into a warm embrace, holding her tight. "You'll be alright, we aren't even sure yet, we need a PT strip to get a test done.

After the test;

"I can't believe this is happening," I whispered, the tears flowing freely now. "I've ruined my life."

Amelia held my hand tightly, trying to offer some comfort. "It's going to be okay, Ava. We'll figure this out together"

"How am I going to tell my mom? What is she going to say when she finds out?" I cried, my voice breaking with emotion.

Amelia's heart went out to me. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, we need to focus on taking care of you and the baby"

"Maybe I should consider abortion. We can't afford to have a baby right now," I whispered, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

But Amelia shook her head firmly. "That's not the only option, Ava. We'll find a way to make this work. You're not alone in this."

Amelia burst into my room a few minutes later with the idea to revisit the party venue for clues. Skeptical but hopeful, we quickly got dressed. As I walked through the entrance, Memories flooded back from the other night but I waved it off. I was too worried to think about that.

As soon as we arrived, we started searching for any clues. We spoke to the bartender, the DJ, and anyone who worked at the party. But no one had seen or heard anything about the man in the mask."

"Everyone here was masked, we couldn't have known who your man was" the manager blurted

"How about the names of attendees?" I enquired I didn't remember his name. "Never mind, " I muttered 

As I stood with my friend Amelia, I pondered on any potential leads to the mystery man who had ordered the ring. Suddenly, I remembered the ring I had found in my purse the previous month which was too big for both of us, raising the question of who it belonged to.

"We have to get home now," I exclaimed to Amelia. "Remember the ring I showed you last month? I think it belongs to him. I think I dropped it in my cupboard. Let's take it to the jeweler and ask him if he knows who owns it."

Amelia nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with a newfound determination. "But there are so many jewelers at the market," she said. "How will we ever find the right one?"

I knew she was right, but I couldn't shake the feeling that we had to try. "We just have to keep searching," I replied.

For weeks, we searched every jeweler we could find, asking questions and showing the ring to anyone who would listen. Our search seemed fruitless, and I felt my hope slipping away.

But then, one day, we stumbled upon a small jeweler tucked away in a corner of the market. The jeweler examined the ring closely, turning it over in his hands before finally speaking. "I made this ring for a man a few months back," he said. "But I don't know who he was. He never gave me his name."

"Do you have any other information about him?"

 "I'm sorry. It's been a year since he ordered the ring. I don't have any record of his name or number. In addition, he came for pickup after it was done. If we had delivered it to him, we would have that information."